Josh Thiry, a retail and consumer behavior major, spent his spring semester interning abroad in Scandanavia.
Briefly describe your international internship: 
I worked in a lovely town called Hellerup outside of Copenhagen, Denmark. The company that I was an international intern for was CareCom and they were a medical software company. In my position I worked on all things social media and helped the company be visible to their clients both present and future.
What were some of the most important things you learned from this experience and how you think it will impact your professional life?
After many staff lunches and team meetings I saw how important working in an international office was for me. I loved all of the different stories and ideas that came from my co-workers. There were so many things that I would have never thought of if it hadn’t been for my international co-workers and I hope they can say the same for me.
You found yourself in a unique situation this semester having to navigate a global pandemic. How did this impact your experience abroad, and what have been your major takeaways from it?
No one saw COVID-19 coming or the impact that it would have on everyone. It was so heartbreaking to be sent home months before I had planned to come home. The thing is you can’t let hard times get you down. I would say difficult times define us and our character. My takeaway from this is don’t give up and keep pushing for all the hard work you have put in. Even though I was sent home early I was able to work remotely and still make it an unforgettable experience.
What kind of preparation was helpful (like if you read a book about the country or took language classes, etc)?
To really prepare myself for my time abroad I read a lot about Denmark and knew that things were going to be different than where I was from. I knew that keeping an open mind was very important. (P.S. Rick Steves is a great resource for anyone going to Europe.)
What will you most miss about your host country?
The thing that I will miss most about my host country Denmark are all of the people that I met during my stay there! Their impact was one I will never forget and am forever grateful for!